Cultivating Gratitude

Have you ever noticed how when you are happy everything seems to go better? Maintaining a mentality of love and gratitude can help keep you in this space. To use a gardening metaphor: learning to cultivate a landscape of gratitude in your life will allow you to reap happiness far more often than focusing on what isn’t working.

So in honor of Thanksgiving here are some tips and ideas which will help plant the seeds for your garden of gratitude to grow strong.

#1 This month I noticed that many friend devoted their Facebook status updates to gratitude. I found this helpful because so far for every day in the month of November I’ve had a visual reminder to be thankful and it sparked my own postings related to gratitude. Not only that, but seeing what others are grateful for has reminded me of some of the things that I take for granted like clean running water.

You can do this on your own with your Facebook status, Twitter updates, in a journal at home, during grace or thanksgiving before a meal, or to a friend or co-worker in conversation.

#2 Comes from Stress.about.com: When you notice yourself getting down and focusing on negativity stop yourself and think of 4 or 5 things for which you are grateful.

#3 Also originates from about.com from the post 10 Simple Ways to Show Gratitude. My favorite gem is carry a talisman around with you that reminds you of gratitude.

I’ve done this before with a necklace of mine. Its beads were strung together to give a woman the option to leave forced prostitution. When I touch the necklace, I remember. When I remember I am driven to succeed in my work to make the world a better place, and I feel grateful. Grateful for my free speech, and access to a computer to share those thoughts. Grateful because I have three full meals per day and a roof over my head. Grateful for the opportunities that rain down on me every day. Finally, I am grateful because I could be in that same position but for the grace of God.